1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for eliciting a response by an animal to a moving visual stimulus and more particularly to such a method adapted for use in training horses to respond to the unpredictable movements of cows and the like. The invention further relates to a device adapted for use in training horses to respond to the unpredictable movements of cows and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of horses in cattle herding and related operations has long been known. Among the types of horses employed for such purposes are those known as "cutting horses".
From time to time, for a variety of reasons, it becomes necessary to remove one or more cows individually from a herd. For instance, it might be desirable to remove a cow which has suffered injury, disease, or the like. Further, a cow may need to be isolated temporarily or permanently from the herd, such as for branding, sale, or slaughter.
However, it has been found that a cow sought to be removed from a herd very often positions itself amid the other animals of the herd, due possibly either to coincidence or the cow's reaction to its inate sense that it is being sought. Thus, it is commonly observed that a single cow forced from the herd commonly will attempt to return to the apparent safety and protection afforded by a large group of cows standing or milling about together.
In a cutting operation, wherein a cow is removed individually from a group, a rider atop a cutting horse rides amongst the cows and locates a single cow desired to be isolated from the group. The cutting operation usually takes place in a corral or the like into which the cows have been herded. Upon location of the selected cow, the rider uses the horse to force the cow from the herd and move it toward an unoccupied, remote area of the corral. However, once the cow has successfully been forced from the herd, it commonly will attempt to evade the horse and rider and rejoin the herd. Such attempts are invariably accompanied by a series of unpredictable moves by the cow, including sudden starts and stops, seemingly instantaneous changes of direction, and other evasive tactics whereby the cow seeks to circumvent the horse and avoid being moved farther from the herd.
In order to prevent such a reunion by a cow and the herd from which it has most recently been separated, it is necessary that the horse and rider quickly react to any movement or sensation of movement by the cow in order to keep the horse positioned between the cow and the herd. Such reactions by the horse, it is believed, are due only in limited part to the horse's instincts. Thus, it has long been known that it is necessary to train the horse to respond to the visual stimulus provided by the intermittent and unpredictable movements of a cow that has been cut from a herd.
Various methods and apparatuses have been employed previously in an effort to train horses efficiently and effectively to assist the rider in the cutting operation and to react reflexively to the movements of cows being cut from the herd.
One such apparatus of which applicant is aware essentially consists of a simulated cow made of plastic or the like mounted on wheels powered by an electric motor, and in which or on which a human operator rides. The cow is controlled by the human operator who causes it to move back and forth in an effort to simulate the movements of an isolated cow. Such a device is relatively expensive and, therefore, is not generally available to trainers having limited budgets. Further, such a device is extremely large and cumbersome, and thus cannot be transported easily or conveniently from one training site to another site remote therefrom. Moreover, such a device must be operated by a person other than the rider of the horse to be trained. Thus, the movements of the device are not predictable by the rider of the horse to be trained and, therefore, the rider cannot anticipate the device's movements early in the horse's training period when assistance from the rider in directing a horse's movements is desirable.
A second form of apparatus is a simulated cow made of plastic or the like and which depends from a boom pivotable about an axis to permit movement of the artificial cow in a generally circular or arcuate path. Such movement is imparted to the plastic cow a person other than the rider of the horse. Consequently, the disadvantage of the rider's inability to predict the movement of the apparatus, alluded to above in connection with the motorized simulated device, is presented by this simulated cow apparatus as well.
Another form of device employed in training cutting horses comprises an endless rope looped about a pair of pulleys. One pulley generally consists of the rear wheel of a bicycle, the wheel being adapted to be driven by a pedaling motion imparted to the pedals of the bicycle. A flag or the like is attached to the rope and, upon pedaling of the bicycle pedals and concomitant movement back and forth of the rope, the flag moves back and forth to provide a visual stimulus to which the horse is desired to respond. As with the other devices discussed above, this device suffers the limitation of having to be operated by a person other than the rider of the horse. Further, because motion is imparted to the flag or target through human-powered means, the rate of speed is neither constant nor predictable by the rider of the horse.
A further disadvantage presented by many known training devices which are operated by other than the rider of the horse is that, often, the operator of the device must be paid to operate the device and, obviously, the potential for increasing the cost of training horses is accordingly present. Similarly, the training of a horse using a conventional device requires the presence of both the rider and a device operator; thus, the rider of the horse cannot train the horse without the assistance of another.
Prior to the introduction of training devices, the traditional method of training cutting horses involved the use of live cows, essentially reproducing the actual cutting operations and situations anticipated to be encountered by the horse being trained. However, many inexperienced horses, and in particular younger horses, have been known to become frightened or frustrated when first confronted with a group of cows or when encountering a single cow which has been used repeatedly as an unwilling training object and is evidencing an uncooperative attitide. The use of live cows also is burdened by the generally limited availability of cows for such purpose, particularly in situations in which the trainer of the horse is not also an owner of a herd of cows.
Thus, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have an improved method of training cutting horses to respond in desired fashion to the visual stimuli presented by animals having a tendency unpredictably to move and cease moving, wherein such method is capable of being performed by the trainer of a horse without assistance from another person.
Therefore, it has also long been known that it would be desirable to have an improved device for training cutting horses and the like to respond to the unpredictable movements of cows that is inexpensive and adapted for use and control by the rider of the horse. Further, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have such a device which is characterized by simplicity of construction and minimization of size to permit easy portability thereof from one training site to another. Also, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have such a device which is adapted to move a target, or other visual stimulus, at a variety of selected constant speeds to permit training of horses having differing levels of experience and ability.